Give up soda for one month. Just one.

This picture is based on my life. 

Today, I embark on the 92nd item on my list: give up soda for one month.  But to be honest, I'm hoping this turns into a life-long change and I don't really drink it again...ever.

I drink a toooooooooooooon of diet soda, with a preference for pepsi.  It's truly an addiction... and it's disgusting.  The main sweetener, aspartame, has been involved in more FDA/health agency battles than nearly any other food in the US.  Phosphoric acid is also a rust remover.  

And I drink this stuff.  Ew.

So.  Starting today, there will be no more soda.  Not even clear shtuff, that's supposed to be "better" for you.  I don't care if you're infusing it with vitamins, it's probably still killing me.

We'll see how it goes.  It's been 12 hours since today started, and there are no withdrawal effects yet.  No shakes, no shivers, no hallucinations, no mercilessly yelling for someone to PLEASE please pass me a can.  

And I guess I'll be cheating... I'll still drink sparkling water.  Does that count as soda?  Let's hope not.....

#36 Take pictures of people in a big city AND # 75 Duck Boat

Missions accomplished?  For real?


This past week, I went on my first. Ever. Duck boat tour.  It was pretty sweet.  I learned some cool stuff, like the Boston Molasses Disaster, where a huuuuge flood of molasses ended up KILLING people!! Bah.  Cray cray.

Also, Bobby got to drive the duck boat.  SAHWEEET!

I also seized upon this opportunity in Boston to go around and take pictures of a random people...  I think this was a very good way to use my time.  Extremely rewarding, not gonna lie....  Below is a slide show of those photos, along with some captions as to why I found these specific situations so wonderful.

Daaaaaang, blog FAIL!

Meh.  So I've been getting called out on how inattentive I've been to this blog, BUT!! I've also done a LOT OF THINGS on my list.  I'm hitting the 1/4 point.... only about 3/4 of the year left until this little mission is done-zo.  SO! It seems to make sense to re-post the original list, and cross off the things that I've accomplished.  A lot of them have been done in this past month....and I've neglected to blog about them :( SAD!

1. Read the entire Bible, cover to cover
2. Finish The Social Contract by Rousseau (I'll get this from the library TODAY.  FOR REAL)
3. Learn to identify, by sight, the most common bird species in Massachusetts
4. Watch the sun rise and set from the same location (I guess this is a fancy way of saying sleep outside…)
5. Climb (at least) five trees in (at least) five different states  (I'm kind of on my way!! I've done TWO, Tennessee and Massachusetts)
6. Get to the top of another mountain
7. Pet a monkey. Somehow, it will happen.
8. Visit a zoo in every state in New England (This is apparently impossible.  There are literally NO ZOOS in either Vermont or New Hampshire. HOW LAME?!?!?!!?!? So I'm going to cross it off anyways....)
9. BEAST the GRE (I've been studying.....)
10. Visit Niagara Falls. It’s only eight hours away from Andover. I have NO EXCUSE.
11. Learn to cook GOOD food. And stop burning my pasta… (I've made some decent things this summer!!!! I'll have to put some more effort into this...)
12. Start using coffee for good, not evil. This means no more pouring it into my body in an attempt to stay awake. No no. This means enjoying mi café. (I'm doing better on this than I thought.  Okay, well, I was doing better.  But I still drink to shake....)
13. Build something incredible out of Play-Doh.
14. Develop healthy sleeping patterns. Preferably sleeping at night, every night, for a wholesome amount of time.
15. Recognize one thing I am thankful for every day.
16. Adopt an animal J (…okay, or buy, if I must….)
17. Write one letter, handwritten, a week. Oh, and ACTUALLY send it.
18. Remember to call home. Emails aren’t an adequate communication substitute.
19. Mentor someone, one on one, in Nashville during the 2010-2011 school year
20. Start doing my laundry weekly, instead of “as needed” which ends up being “wear that dirty shirt until it is SO CLEARLY dirty it’s embarrassing to put it on”
21. Laser tag.
22. Visit Leah in New York City
23. Eat at Pfunky Griddle with Emily  (We did this the week of finals, on reading day.  WAHOOOO!)
24. Visit Dinosaur World, in Cave City, KY
25. Visit the Creationist Museum
26. Go to the Science Center in Nashville
27. Karaoke
28. Paint a house (Mom, I guess this one is for youJ )
29. Run a half marathon
30. Ride my bike to the ocean.
31. Go to a Red Sox game!! (July 2.  We beat the Orioles)
32. Walk the Freedom Trail in as little times as humanly possible, while still paying attention to every single site.
33. Go to Plimoth Plantation again.
34. Do funny things on elevators
35. Take Bobby to a big flea market
36. Take pictures of people in a big city, just to creep them out (is this legal?)
37. Go bungee jumping and/or skydiving
38. Make homemade ketchup
39. Drive some type of a construction vehicle
40. Plant a garden
41. …. Tend to said garden.
42. Grow my hair out, and then donate it again.
43. Go this entire year without buying/drinking bottled water.  (Mission FAIIIILEED.  However, I've only bought one bottle of water in the US so far since I set this goal)
44. Get the people at Grins to know my name
45. Bake one birthday cake a month. But for a person whose birthday it is. Not just to do it, nor to consume myself.
46. Find Julianna housing for Summer 2010 (I played NO ROLE in this)
47. Eat less sugar. Okay, this is going to be HARD to measure. I mean, I can’t swear it off for a year (… or an hour), but I’m sure I can cut down on the candy/mints/sweets consumed.
48. Re-learn every single cloud type, and learn to spot them in the sky.

*The following are in regards to the accusations that I don’t ever watch good movies. Which is true. Thus, to appease these people….

49. Watch Citizen Kane
50. Watch Crash
51. Watch Fight Club
52. Watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (mostly just so I know what people are doing when they say “Anyone…. Bueller? ….. Bueller?”)
53. Watch King Kong (the 1933 edition)
54. Watch Schindler’s List ….in ONE sitting!
55. Watch Brian’s Song (I guess this one is for Dad…)
56. Watch Time Traveler’s Wife
57. Watch The Shawshank Redemption
58. Watch Gone with the Wind
59. …. Read Gone with the Wind….
60. Press my own paper
61. Bake vegan cookies that are just as delicious as the ones that are sold at Grins and Fido
62. Plant a tree on Arbor Day!
63. Visit a rainforest (Is it cheating when I know I’m actually going to be doing this? I mean, I guess something could happen and it wouldn’t end up occurring while I’m in Ecuador but still… I think it deserves to be here)
64. Finger paint. (I didn't realize that this is actually part of my summer enjoyment.... meaning, I didn't need to add it to the list; I would have done it anyway)
65. Volunteer weekly for one cause that I’m passionate about. I don’t need to decide the cause or the passion now. But during the school year next year, it’s happening.
66. Decide what my life will consist of upon graduation (which is Friday the 13^thof May, 2011. Are you KIDDING?!?! Yeah, we’re all gonna be super lucky with THAT as our starting-off point!) (*panic*)
67. Build a really cool sand structure. Amazing, even.
68. Have Bobby teach me a song on the guitar.
69. Learn all the words to Eternal Flame, which was the number one song on the day I was born
70. See whales in the wild (I guess this is a more articulate way of saying I want to go on a whale watch in New England this summer…)
71. Sleep on top of MRBIII
72. Learn how to make corn tortillas
73. Learn how to juggle
74. Start singing again, even it it’s just to/for myself
75. Go on a Duck Tour in Boston. I’ve never done that. And I should!
76. Buy something ridiculous at a yard sale
77. Write funny limericks for everyone in my (immediate) family
78. Go to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee

Aaaand I’ve also realized how few books I’ve read, TRULY READ, in my life. It’s actually kind of embarrassing… BUT I have a year to redeem myself!

79. Read The Poisonwood Bible
80. Read Pride and Prejudice
81. Read Catcher in the Rye
82. Read The God of Small Things
83. Read Atonement
84. Read I Know This Much is True
85. Read The Prince (and subsequently take over the world with my new found power)
86. Read Slaughterhouse Five
87. Read The Grapes of Wrath
88. Read How to Win Friends and Influence People (I mean, if this self-help book has been around for nearly 75 years, it must have merits, right? And it should counter the new Machiavellian self that I discover while reading The Prince)
89. Read The American Boys Handy Book. I think I might be most excited to read this one…..
90. Do at least four things from The American Boys Handy Book. I bet I’ll be the best Boy Scout EVER.
91. Learn to play poker. Correctly. Okay, I really want to turn this into “Learn how to count cards” but I’m really not sure I’m capable. So, even if that doesn’t happen, if I can really learn how to dominate five card draw, I’ll die happy.
92. Give up soda for one month. Just one.
93. Create a genuine savings account, not just a bank account with the title “Savings” that is separate from that which is called “Checking.” (DOING BETTER!!!)
94. Go through my closet and get rid of EVERYTHING that should not be there. Stop holding onto things that are pointless to keep. (I did this the last week of school... ended up with one suitcase and my hiking backpack of clothes.  I'm gonna go ahead and say job well done...)
95. Build my own kite and fly it, preferably by the beach
96. Talk to a random stranger, and hear their story
97. Change a car tire
98. Donate blood regularly
99. Get re-certified for CPR
100. Learn how to golf. And try not to embarrass myself…

 



So.  I have officially accomplished 17 things on the lits, and have made headway with many others.  But the thing is... a lot of these are more like general lifestyle changes.  I wonder if I'll ever be able to officially cross off something like "sleep normally", or if I'll just continue to work at it???


PS:   People need to visit me in Massachusetts.  Summer strugglezzzz.....

#79: Read The Poisonwood Bible

Perhaps one of the best books I've read in a long, long, long time.  I had a conversation with Laura about how it was only written 12 years ago, and yet, it really was an incredible book.  I've kind of come to accept the fact that more modern books will most likely not be like the classics.  Modern authors seem to really emphasize churning out series, or seventeen books a year.  And this was not like those; it is most likely on my top five favorite books of all time, taking a backseat to The Foot Book.

Moreover, it also had a moral that should be listened to: don't mess with something that's working.  The people in the village in the Congo shared well with each other, helped each other, and got by -  do they need Christianity? Perhaps food shortages control a population's carrying capacity - should we introduce GMOs?

This is a message to be heeded.  After all, the Titanic sunk, the big banks failed, and the oil well was, in fact, too deep.  And yet, rather than learn from these offenses of the past, we continue to strive for bigger, stronger, faster.  We forget the tiny portion we are, in comparison to this immense planet.  A planet that struck a harmonious balance before we were "technologically advanced," and will find a new equilibrium once our failures wipe the slate clean.

If there's anything that this year has taught me, it's that there is too much I don't know to ever feel comfortable making huuuuuuge changes to the status quo.  This is not to say that change is to be feared, merely approached with extreme caution.

I've developed more of a respect for my world, and all in it.  The tiny fish who swim in schools have just as much to teach me as the schools where we learn about fish.  After all, isn't it ironic that we learned how to fly from watching birds, and yet our cross-continental voyages have produced air pollution capable of destroying their very lives?

My perfect isn't yours, nor yours mine.  And to claim I have the right to impose my ideas and ideals across a population seems ludicrous; and The Poisonwood Bible seems to back this up.

I'm learning how to accept, respect what already is, instead of what could be.  Because I bet that Mother Nature could construct something stronger, more ingenious, than anything I could ever imagine.

I wrote down some of my favorite quotes from this book, which I think are worth sharing.  I guess it's a bit of an abridged version? AND! You don't even need to know the characters!


"One has only the life of one's own" (8)

"Curiosity killed the cat, but I try and land on my feet" (108)

"Childhood was nothing guaranteed.  It seemed to me, in fact, like something more or less invented by white people and stuck onto the front end of grown-up life like a frill on a dress" (114-115)

"I was occupied so entirely by each day, I felt detached from anything so large as a month or a year.  History didn't cross my mind" (323)

"The death of something living is the price of our own survival, and we pay it again and again.  We have no choice? It is the one solemn promise every life on earth is born and bound to keep" (347)

"Listen.  To live is to be marked.  To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know" (385)

"The power is in the balance: we are our injuries, as much as we are our successes" (496)

"Other people's worries to not necessarily have to drag you down" (516)

"For every life saved by vaccination or food relief, another is lost to starvation or war" (528)

"Every life is different because you passed this way and you touched history" (538)



So basically, if you somehow slipped through the high school cracks without reading this book like I did, it's time to hit up the library.  Barbara Kingsolver.

Done.

Snorkeling!!

So.  I am finishing up day number three at sea, sailing around the British Virgin Islands with my best friend and her family.  And on Friday, I had my first snorkeling experience, which has been happily repeated the following days.

Snorkeling.  Is.  Amazing.  Especially because I figured out (meaning I was taught...) how to dive under.  Now that I re-read that sentence, it sounds pretty stupid.... I just realized that you can go underwater with a snorkel in your mouth.

The water here is incredible, unlike any ocean water I've ever seen.  It is so flippin' clear that you can see the bottom when you're about 10 meters above.

Also, the boat we're riding on is absolutely beautiful.  I've never felt luckier to be somewhere as I do right now, for sure.  And I am entirely grateful for this experience.

I've also never been able to explore the ocean like I've been able to these past few days.  The ocean in New England is a bit of a no-man's land, even on the hottest days in August; it's not always worth it to really venture too far out.  But here... the water is so warm, and the sea life so accessible and near to you that it's impossible NOT to dive in and explore a bit. I've never seen fish of these color, nor thought that I'd be able to see such complex coral structures in my life.  I can't wait to upload some of the underwater photos that Mrs. Vogler and Laura have taken... truly amazing!

And seeing the ocean like this makes me realize how little of the world I've explored, how little I know.  And even if I covered all the countries of the world and all the land terrain that I possibly could... I'll never see it all.  Obviously, I knew this before.  But I've never really thought about how different it is to explore the land versus the water.

For some reason, it's comforting to know that I'll always remain blissfully unaware of so many things. So for now, I'll learn all I can about sea birds, coral, and sailing...

Hasta luego, Ecs!

This is my last night in the country.

And I´m spending it at the airport.  ROCK ON.

I left Cuenca less than an hour ago, and am already back in Quito.  ¡Que país taaaan chiquito!

Cuenca was relatively uneventful.  Oh, except for the fact that I happened to be there during two HUGE festivals... Corpus Christi, and Inti Raymi (festival of the sun).  So there was candy everywhere, fireworks every night, and a huge goth concert on Saturday night.  I´m not entirely sure what that has to do with Jesus OR the sun, though.  Maybe a coincidence?  All I know is that I made the mistake of crossing through the park with my groceries maybe an hour before the outdoor concert was about to begin.

Let me remind you all: I am white, and I am bright.  These people were not, and they were dressed 100% in black.  Oops.



On Sunday, I went to Ingapirca, the most well-preserved Incan ruins in Ecuador.  I arranged the tour online (easiest way to get there, and to still learn about the historical aspects).  I was told it was a non-private (read: cheaper) tour, so ASSUMED it would be at least ten people.

Wrong.


I got picked up by a man in a blue SUV, and spent the day with him, an Ecuadorian, and another girl from Colombia. And it was pretty wonderful.

The ruins were cool, too.  Made me feel small, young, and (happily) powerless.  The best part about not being a royal or in charge of a group of people is that you make fewer enemies :)


Last night, I went to this cafe in Cuenca (after I butchered my dinner by accidentally buying ketchup instead of tomato sauce... BUT! In my defense, "salsa de tomate" was DEFINITELY tomato sauce in Chile, and ketchup was called "ketchup."  I love when Spanish doesn´t stay constant...)

And at this cafe, I was reflecting in my journal, reading (another) book, and then this girl came over and asked me, in Spanish, if I spoke English.  I responded "claro, sí, hablo inglés".  In Spanish.  Who knows why.  This girl ended up being from NEW HAMPSHIRE!!

Are you KIDDING me?!?! I travel to CUENCA and meet up with a fellow New Englander in a teeny café?  And THEN! Get this.... the CELTICS came on.

I believe a bit more in fate now.

Didn´t really do too much today... just wandered around the city, trying desperately to find Matthew´s old orphanage.  It doesn´t exist anymore, though, and instead I just got chastised by old ladies for traveling alone and for not being married, if I´m not in school.  I tried to tell them that I am in a university, but they thought I was lying.  I mean, if I´m not in school this very moment, I must be lying, right?

So that was kind of disappointing.  And then I hopped on my flight to Quito!

Actually, that´s a lie.  It didn´t go so smoothly.  Apparently, when I booked my flight from Cuenca to Quito, I accidentally made the reservation for yesterday.  Oops.  So the lady couldn´t find my reservation, and I gave her my confirmation code and everything, and then we realized the mistake.  My mistake.

But this chirpy señora just rebooked me for no extra charge.  FIRST.  CLASS:  I´ve never flown first class before.  Best 36 minutes of my LIFE.

And now I´m in Quito, and I feel at home and at ease once again. I love this city.  There are some places that I can deal with for a few days (Cuenca..).  And there are others where I could stay for.ev.er (Quito).


But now, I think it´s high time for me to really reflect on what Ecuador has taught me, even in these few short weeks.  I don´t know why I feel this bizarre attachment to this country.  When I left Chile, I was sad--- I cried.  But I was upset at leaving that super cool lifestyle behind.  This is a different emotion, and as stupid as it sounds, I feel like I´m leaving a part of me behind. I can´t place it yet...

Anyway....

Lo que aprendí en Ecuador

1. It reaaaaally pays to become a regular at certain places.  Like the café that we frequented in Cumbayá.  We ended up getting free cake, discounted cappuccinos, and the man even gave us little rubber stamps at the end.  SO WORHT IT!  It´s not always necessary to mess with the status quo, especially when it is DEELISH.
2. Rice can get old.  Really old.  I actually don´t think I´ll be able to eat rice for a REALLY long time after this viaje...
3. Everyone can drink juice! Whatever age! Whatever time! I don´t think I´ve ever had this much jugo en mi vida!
4. When the coffee is substantially less than a dollar, order the tea.
5. Going with the flow is....relaxing!! I didn´t even color code ANYTHING this ENTIRE MONTH.  I´m a changed gal...
6. There´s no sense in getting frustrated with locals or customs.  Even if you´re angry and upste, it´s not like they´ll change.  So why bother getting there in the first place? Embrace it, and roll with it.
7. Some girls really like purses.  Some girls really like shoes.  I realllllly like backpacks... sue me.
8. I have a whole lot to still learn about the difference between necessities and desires.
9. Salsa de tomate is NOT ALWAYS tomato sauce.  Well, it is.  But not spaghetti sauce. Ew.
10. NOTHING will ever feel as wonderful as being told your Spanish is good.  Dang!
11. I dont think I´m meant to travel alone for long periods of time.  I love having at least ONE person to share experiences with. I think this means I will be recruiting compadres for my future adventures :)
12. I have learned to identify what country people are from by their accent they have when they speak Spanish.  And also their clothing... if someone is wearing sandals, and hiking past me up a volcano, they are definitely German.
13. Showers are really optional, when you think about it.  I mean, it´s Monday night and I haven´t showered since Friday.  And I won´t shower again until tomorrow night.... if someone is going to judge me for not showering, we probably aren´t compatible in the first place...
14. I hope I never forget how much I love to read and write.  I´ve read seven books here, and will finish my eighth shortly.  And I´ve rediscovered how much I love journaling (.... and blogging)
15. Trust in the kindness of strangers.  Maybe you´ll be sitting in a café, and will meet someone from 20 minutes away from you, and you´ll end up cheering on your home team together thousands of miles away....
16. Hugging a child will ALWAYS make you feel better.  Ooh! Better yet--- comfort a crying child.  Then you´ll feel superhuman.
17. Choose the eeeemptiest Internet café you can.  It´ll be a muuuuuuch faster connection
18. Walking home in the rain is essentially the equivalent of washing your clothes.  Or so I tell myself...
19. I want to be this age forever.  I can travel without looking lazy or like I´m neglecting responsibilities... that is PRETTTYYY sweet.
20. Reading a book entitled "Terrorist" is probably not the best thing to open up on an airplane.  You might start giggling at the irony, and kind of scare the business guy sitting next to you.... and reasonably so.
21. I was really made to got to sleep early and wake up early.  I think I´ve been in bed by like 8 nearly every night.  And I have yet to sleep past 6:30... but it is wonderful!
22. Do not pee in the jungle river water.  EVER.  
23. When in said jungle, swim every chance you get... you´ll want to rinse.  Bring the soap with you to the rio.  It´ll be a blast
24. ALWAYS.  Always.  Stop for monkeys.
25. The jungle is not your territory.  Remember that.
26. Ants are yuuummmyyy!
27. Traveling solo is a confidence booster.  AKA I´m kind of happy with the fact that I did that (albeit only a few days) and am still breathing.  Good deal.

I am really, really going to miss this place.  Kind of bizarre that it´s over.  This has been an adventure of a lifetime, that is for sure.  I´ve learned more than I think I have in any other single month of my life.  I hope it sticks with me.  And I hope I stop eating ants, because that could be dangerous when I get back to the US...


Nos vemos, Ecuador!  Era un gusto....

Cuenca!

Ehhh so my last blog post was lacking a bit.  Oops.  I think I was still processing the fact that I for real just said goodbye to the kids that I spent a month with.  It still feels surreal, that I´m not going back...

This morning, I landed in Cuenca, Ecuador, which is the city where Matthew was born and where he stayed at an orphanage for the first 8-ish months of his life.  Woke up at 4:45, got to the airport a bit early, sipped a Nescafé (only the best!!), and took the 45 minute trip to Cuenca.  Landed, found a hostel.... kind of?


My hostel is kind of funny.  The running water only runs every now and then.  I think I´m the only one staying there.  The owners live across the street.

BUT!! They gave me a towel AND toilet paper.  Also, I have my own room for $5 a night, which is prettttyyy sweet.  I´ll take it!

This is my first time traveling alone, and also, traveling without a game plan.  I kind of just landed, wandered, and we´ll see what happens?  So today I´ve been to a few of the plazas, and to a mirador that looks over the entire city.  And it´s only noon....

Tomorow, I´m going to Ingapirca, which is the best-preserved Incan ruins in Ecuador.  That should definitely be cool.

Monday will probably consist of more museums and wandering.  We´ll see.....

Dang.  Traveling solo is kind of fun.  I like the fact that it´s just me, doing whatever the heck I feel like.  It´s bizarre for me to feel this carefree, to be honest.  I feel so comfortable here, for some reason.  I like it. 

This morning, I also went around to some of the addresses/etc that meant something when Matthew lived here.  And I was not expecting it, but I definitely started crying.  Thank GOD it was raining, or I´m sure I would have looked even more ridiculous: the random gringa with hiking shoes and a bright green bolsa sobbing in a residential neighborhood.  I didn´t think that being here would impact me emotionally like that.  Maybe I´m just tired?  But it´s also 100% unbelievable that the little boy I love so much actually once lived here, in this remote city thousands of miles away from the house we share in Massachusetts.  It´s kind of an overwhelming thought, and the experience is much more powerful.  I´m not sure I´ll ever be able to explain what being here is like.  All I know is that the longer I stay in Ecuador, the more amazing it seems that he lives with me and not here, and how thankful I am for that. 

Okay.  Enough time at the internet café. The sun is coming out!  Who knows what I´ll do from here...

Whatveer comes next will be next. 

Done?

I just left the day care for the last time.  It´s too bizarre to process.  I really don´t like (haven´t accepted?) the fact that I´ll never ever see these kids again.  I´m much more sad about it than I thought I would be...

Emily, Rachael and I in front of the guardería :) 

It´s been a good week, though.  On Tuesday, we celebrated Día del Niño with our kids, and went to a granja (farm) to spend the day.  Saw lots of cool animals.  The kids had a dance-off.  There was only one blood incident in my class.  I´ll call it a very good day.  I´ll upload more pictures soon.


Also, this past weekend, we went to Volcán Cotopaxi, the second highest peak in Ecuador.  Not a bad view....

I´m sure a lot of other stuff has happened. If I had my camera, I´d upload photos.. BUT! It´s at home.

I don´t think it has hit me yet that I´m leaving so soon.  Tomorrow is my last full day in Quito, and on Saturday, I fly to Cuenca (which is the city where Matthew was born).  I´m there until Monday night, and then on Tuesday, I´m back in the US.

Unbelievable.  I´m not quite ready to leave yet...

#15 (...everything) and #27 (KARAOKE!!)

Another work week just came to a close, and I am amazed that next week is my last week of service.

I´m not ready yet.  I´m 100% not ready to leave, at all.  Man.

Wednesday, we took the day off of Cristo and instead traveled around the valley going to other group members´service sites.  I don´t know if I´ve explained this before, but there are four different service sites that students are working with here.  Cristo (obviously) is one; there´s another site that works with the elderly; two girls are working in a health clinic and sometimes in a hospital; and two other people are at a school/foundation that works with kids with severe disabilities.  We went to the latter two sites on Wednesday.

We learned a decent amount about the health care system in the valley we´re living in.  Every city has its own clinic, bueno bueno.  And then we visited one of the hospitals.  The hospital is meant to serve a population of nearly 200,000.  And it has 15 beds.  A lot of these beds are all in the same room.  It was interesting, to say the least.

At the special needs center, I realized that I don´t think I could ever have that job.  Some of the classes are integrated, but then there are a few that house kids with things like cerebral palsy, hemiplogia, etc.  I really don´t think I could do that, day in and day out.  Those are special people who can have that job for years.

And I realized how lucky I am to be able to make even stupid decisions during the day, like whether or not I want to wake up at 7 or 7:10; if I´ll eat cereal or bread; if I´ll walk on one side of the street or the other. 


Dang.


Last night, we went out to Quito again, and ate some delicious crepes before going to a different bar.  And we...


KARAOKED!!

So I can cross number 27 off the list.  "Let it Be" by the Beatles and "As Long as You Love ME" by Backstreet Boys were for sure belted out last night.  Good deal.


Tomorrow, we have a trip to Volcan Cotopaxi, which is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador.  It´s also one of the few mountains on the equator that has permanent ice on top.  I never really even though about how CRAZY that is...


So for this day trip, I´m going to do a few important things: Eat breakfast.  Bring snacks.  Wear warm clothes.  Slow down. 


It should go better than our first volcano adventure....

# 7 revisted

This was the monkey that tinkled on my shoulder.  Baha.

#7 (PET A MONKEY!) and #63 (visit the rainforest)

You guys.

I think I just peaked.  I don´t think my life will get any better than it currently is RIGHT NOW.  Wanna know why?!?!


Not only did I touch a monkey.  No no.  No no no.  The monkeys CLIMBED ALL OVER ME.

And.  Get this: one peed on me.  I´m never washing that shirt again.

(that´s a huge lie... I already washed it).

But seriously.  I never ever thought that number seven on my list would happen in the next 365 days.  And somehow, it did.

I don´t have the pictures on my camera, but as soon as my friend uploads them, I´ll show!


Now.  On to the AMAZON!!


I spend the past weekend at Tiputini Biodiversity Station, which I´m pretty sure is the most remote place I´ll ever end up being in my entire life.  It´s a partnership between the USFQ here, and with BU back in the US (rep Beantown what whaaat).  To get there, we had to drive from Cumbaya to Quito, take a 30 minute plane ride to Coca, take a 2 hour boat ride to Pompeya, take a 2 hour bus ride through Repsol´s oil road thing (kind of sketchy...), and then finish with another 2.5 ish hour boat ride on a different river to end up at the station in the absolute middle of nowhere.  We had electricity for about 5 hours a day total.

I was in heaven.  I´m not even kidding.  I´ve never ever enjoyed myself more.

Friday was spent traveling, for the most part.  It rained, too.  And by rain, I mean downpours of a magnitude that I have never. ever.  before seen in my entiiiire life.  They don´t call it the rainforest for nothing...The adventures began on



SATURDAY!

Breakfast was at 6:30 every morning, so we woke up before then to wander around a little bit.  The cabins we stayed in were REALLY NICE! Running/potable water and EVERYTHING.  Swanky swank.

Oh.  Also.  When we got to said swank-tastic cabin on Friday night, we were greeted by a HUUUGE tarantula.  Not even kidding.  The size of a softball.

So that was cool.  Welcome to the Amazon!

Anyways.  Back to Saturday.  We saw some bats in the morning, and then went on our first hike!

Through the jungle.


Let me repeat this: a hike through the jungle.

We went to this canopy tower, which was probably about 15 to 20 stories up in a tree.  We climbed up some rickety scaffolding to reach a platform hiiiiiigh up in the trees.

Up there, we saw some absolutely beautiful birds, and some tucans, and LOTS OF BUGS.  Bugs will be a highlight of this trip.  Just a forewarning.

(clearly still figuring out how to work all the color settings on my new camera....oops!)

ANTS!

These were some of the most incredible birds I´ve ever seen in my life.  I wish I could edit them and clean them up a bit more, but you´ll just have to believe me.  

Spider web.  

View from the canopy tower! This is honestly the only picture I have of the view.  I´m pretty sure the rest of them are of bugs.  

We finally left the tippity top of the rainforest canopy, and went trekking for the rest of the morning.  And we saw a MONKEY!!!!!! 

Again.  Stupid color issues.  But seriously.  CHECK OUT THAT SWING!!!!! 

Our guide also showed us this tree where there is a symbiotic relationship between the tree and some ants.  the highlight: THE ANTS WERE EDIBLE!!!! They tasted like lemon juice.  Learn more about this tasty treat here.

Then we went back to the station, and ate lunch, and bathed in the river.  With the piranhas.  No big deal.

Our afternoon activity was a boat ride in the Tiputini River, and we eventaully jumped out of the boat and floated down the river for a little more than an hour.  Also, we were floating where they had seen an anaconda only a few days earlier.

Note: the Tiputini is where piranhas live.  Nom nom nom. You are also not allowed to pee in the water, because there is a type of catfish that, when it smells urine, will crawl up your urethra.  Yum!

Sunday

We woke up eaaaarrrly this morning, and the other two girls in my cabin and I went down to the dock.  We saw a bunch of Amazon river dolphins, playing exactly where we had been playing in the current only a day earlier!

Our morning activity was to go to a lake nearby, where our guide took us on a canoe ride and we saw a caiman, as well as a bunch of prehistoric birds!  

After bathing in the river again, we went to the canopy bridges in the jungle.  It was another pretty high climb to the top, and then there were all of these bridges between trees and platforms and other fun things to climb around on.  And as we alllll learned from when I was in Chile, climbing is my JAM.

Saw more monkeys on the way back.  no big deal. 

Monday was another traveling day, but it was also when we stopped in Coca for a few hours before our plane ride.  There were monkeys that lived near the restaurant there, and they loved me.

Loved.  Me.  So much that they wanted to mark me as their territory.  

We also saw another caiman that day!

For some reason, I´m struggling making a slideshow here! So check out my photos on facebook.  There are two albums, and they are http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31249371&id=1232340250 and http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31249501&id=1232340250

Those links take you to the first photo of each album, and then you should be able to scroll through.  If that doesn´t work, and you want to see them, email me! Colleen.A.Cummings@vanderbilt.edu and I will figure out a way to share them!

besitos!

#86- Read Slaughterhouse Five

FINISHED IT YESTERDAY MORNING! I'm reading a disgusting amount on this trip.  It is so so wonderful.  I actually am a huge fan of not really having internet, and thus having to do better things with my time.  I should try it more often.

Anyway, as for the book, it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be.  That sounds horrible.  I'm sure I could do absolutely no better, but still. So it goes.

Baha.  Get it?!?!



I started home visits on Monday, and they were way more powerful than I ever expected they could be.  No broma.  I visited four houses on Monday.  Every single mother was 23, except for the first, who was 26. I'm 21.  And I'm selfishly traveling around South America.  It doesn't seem right to me..

It might make sense to explain Cristo now.  The foundation accepts about 100 kids each year, and charges the family $10 a month for the children. However, it actually costs the foundation between $70 and $80 a month to care for the kids.  They are sponsored by one church in Ecuador, three churches in the US, and a handful of padrinos, which literally translates to godfathers, who also donate money on a regular basis. 

Clearly the demand far exceeds the number of spaces that are available within the guarderia.  And so they narrow it down, to select new enrollees each September.  This year, they have 46 cupos (spaces), and had over 200 applicants.  After reading the paper applications, which included information like neighborhood, monthly salary, and place of work, it was narrowed down to about 120 to do home visits for.  The home visits are to make sure that nobody is lying on their paper application, and to justify who really needs these spots.

But it's heartbreaking.  Because the pobreza (poverty) is so clearly visible in all of these cases.  But you have to choose the poorest of the poor.  How do you do that? And how do you justify that this person's $240 a month is worth more than this person's?  Gah.

The first family was a mother, her husband, and their two kids, an 11 year old boy and a 3 year old girl named Miley.  Apparently Hannah Montana had reached Ecuador by 2007...
The mother had a steady job, the father was in construction and didn't.  They had a two room "house", with no bathroom or running water, and one light bulb per room.  But it was the nicest house I saw that day...

The second was a 23 year old mother with a 4 year old son.  However, she was quickly cut out of the running because she was giving shady answers to the questions.  First, she said she worked full time.  Then she didn't.  Then she did.  Then it was possible that she would.  And her husband's salary kept fluctuating, as well

Sidenote:  minimum wage in Ecuador is $240 a month.  $2880 a year.  For the child to be accepted at Cristo, all present parents must work full time, and there must be no other alternative for the child during the day.  Cristo only accepts children between 18 months and 5 years; normally, employers are more lenient about letting a woman bring an infant, but once s/he is walking, it's undoubtedly a lot harder.  


So.  Madre numero dos was a no. Nunca nunca.  Oh, and she was ALREADY paying $30 a month for a different guarderia, to boot!


Madre numero tres was the saddest one that we saw that day.  She was 23, with an almost 3 year old and  6 month old.  The husband left her while she was pregnant with the 6 month old, and is now not involved at all with the children.  She lives in a room off of her parent's "house", but has really nothing of her own.  In the other situations, the women at least had their own stoves.  She used theirs, and their fridge.  They shared a bathroom outside.  Again, no running water. 

The abuela of the two kids, who was 42, currently takes the 2 kids to work every day (she works as a maid).  But with a 2 year old, it's just creating a ton more work for her.  This case was determined to be urgent, meaning that this family will most likely get a spot in Cristo. 

The last house was another single mom, with literally the most beautiful daughter I've ever ever ever seen.  I want to steal her (actually, I want to steal the majority of these kiddos...).  She works, as well, but since her daughter only has  one more year before kindergarten, she wants her to be in more of an educational setting.  Currently, the daughter stays with her aunt during the day. 


It also frustrated me that I went to all these one-room houses, and then came home to my  host house with an indoor pool and my own bathroom.

It doesn't seem right.  I'm actually starting to cry (again) in the computer lab (cool).  Not right at all.  And I know as long as there's a world and money, disparities like this will exist.  But that doesn't make me capable of dealing with it any more.....

I have more house visits today.  Should be interesting.  And then I'm in the Amazon this weekend!!  I can't even explain how excited I am for that.


And then I'll go back to working with the poorest of the poor kids in Cumbaya.  Bah. 

#101: Visit the center of the world.

...if only I had known before I made my list.  Shucks.

It was for sure a whirlwind weekend.  On Saturday, our group went on a tour to an old equatorial monument.  I stood on both hemispheres at the same time.  No big deal. 
Then we went to Otavalo, which is an indigenous village/market a few hours away from Quito.  Bought some cool stuff.  But to be honest, I was about 100% overwhelmed by all the colors and people and animals and llama fur and food and crowds...
The last stop on Saturday was to Parque Condor, where we saw some real Condors and some other cool birds.  Owls were my favorite.  They had some that looked like Hedwig.

Sunday was no less crazy.  We went to the Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world).  I still don´t understand how it´s different from the equator, but at this point, I´m just going along with it... This is where we went that day. 

It was pretty cool, though.  When you are perfectly on the equator, it is possible to balance an egg on the head of a nail.  The gravitational pull is perfectly equal, so the egg stays upright instead of falling over.  If you were able to do it at this museum, you got this cool certificate.


I did it.  No big deal.  I´ll show you all my certificate when I get back to the US.


Then, we went to explore cloud forests, which are NOT what you might think they are.  Okay, this is more me.  I honestly thought it would be a hike around a mountain, and you´d see different types of clouds.  Apparently, this is a RIDICULOUS assumption.  Which, admittedly, I guess it is.  So I couldn´t work on #48, learning all the cloud types.  Sad.  But there really is astounding biodiversity and so many different types of birds, bugs, and plants.

My favorite part, though, was when we went to this man´s house (someone who runs one of the service sites took us), and the 13 year old daughter took us on a tour of the property.  They have a pet toucan, who just roams around the forest until it´s time to come in for dinner.  His name is Lorenzo.  So basically, we spent an hour running around these woods yelling "LORENZO! LORENZO!" trying to get the stupid bird to fly down to us.


Just think about it.  Picture it.  And then I bet you´ll laugh out loud, because I´m starting to giggle again...

I start home visits with Cristo today.  Should be interesting.  Today´s only Monday, and I only worked for five hours, but I am 100% exhausted.  I feel like I haven´t really slowed down yet... not since school started in January.  I´m looking forward to going to bed early tonight....

Coffee. Café. Vida.

I love coffee.  And caffeine.  I eat it by the spoonful (don´t worry about it).  And, as such, I never enjoy it.  Because I drink it copious amounts, like water, as if it were free (because oftentimes it is) and bountiful (because it always is).


Enter South America.  And Nescafé.


I mean, I´m used to it... and I abuse it, I´m sure. It´s just hot water and VIOLA!!  And so I´m not doing so well with number 15 on the list, which is "Start using coffee for good, not evil. This means no more pouring it into my body in an attempt to stay awake. No no. This means enjoying mi café"

But today. Today I did.  I did very well. We went to a café after our service site today, and I got a coffee and a strawberry juice.  It was an americano, sin leche, y con un poco de azucar.  And it was delicious.

Mission partially accomplished.




Anyway! Today is Friday, and I´ve finished my first week at the guardería (day care - - - http://cristodemiravalle.org/ ).  And it was a hard week.  I know what working at day cares is like, I´ve done it before.  I work with kids constantly...it´s my jam, ja know? So I knew the days would be long and hard, and that my Spanish vocab isn´t really perfect for what I´m doing, if that makes sense.  But we ended up being a little disappointed with the site, which is incredibly selfish, and I know that.


The deal is that this is for sure a community development center, but all we were doing was watching little kids.  And I´m fine with that, but I really wanted more of a community and cultural experience.  So we spoke up to our program director, and we´re rearranging our site for the next few weeks.  We´ll work in the guarderia in the mornings, and then a few afternoons a week, we will accompany them on the home visits to learn how they screen the families that then are able to access the services the organization has to offer.


I´m so much happier about this.  I´m sure they need our help in the day care, but a lot of times, there were things I couldn´t do and it was obvious that I was just an extra body, twiddling my thumbs.  There are two things I really can´t stand: feeling useless, and not learning.  This is a service learning trip, and I´m glad that we were able to rearrange things without offending people and being too rude.  So.  That´s a plus.


And now it´s Friday.  And I´m kind of tired.  We went to Quito last night to meet up with some people that our program director knows, which was really fun.  I like having homestays, but I also just love love love spending time with everyone in my group, and part of me (ie- all of me) wishes we were just living together so we could spend more time together.  


This post is too long.  I´m going to end abruptly.  


And I´m also going to apologize for not really responding to emails and FB posts and stuff.  I´m really only on the computer for about 30 minutes, every 3 days or so!  Just so ye knowest. 

An update on #43....

#43 on my list was to go an entire year without buying bottled water.  And then I remembered.... I´ll be living in Ecuador for a month.  AKA the land of entirely unpotable water. So I´ve had to buy bottled water.

MISSION FAIIIIILLEEDD!!

But I´m telling myself that it´s for safety purposes... and I´m still using it to brush my teeth and everything (*fingers crossed*), aaaand I brought my water bottle, so I´m boiling water and stuff to use to.But still.  Bummer.

So. On Saturday afternoon, after my last post, our program director picked me up from the hostel, because my host family was impossible to get in touch with.  She and her friend drove me here, and rang the bell.  This lady (my host mom) answered it, CLEARLY shocked that there was a girl on her front stoop holding a backpack, and saying "HEYYY I think I´´ll crash here for a month, is that cool?"

I love miscommunications.

So they dropped me off, and Señora cleaned out a bedroom for me (have my own bathroom, which is sweeeet).  And then they left and came back, and left and came back, so I really haven´t spent much time with them at all.  So far, so good though.

And then on Sunday, we went on a tour of Quito with the group (there´s 10 of us from Vanderbilt here), and saw all of the old colonial buildings and shtuff.  We also went to this cathedral, where everything inside is gold plated.

Everything.

Covered in gold.

I honestly got really frustrated with this, as horrible as it sounds. Poverty runs rampant here (+40% below the UN poverty line, aka less than a dollar a day), and income disparities are so clearly visible. And yet, the government spends money to buy gold leaf for this church. BAHHHH!

That´s all.


And then when I got home that afternoon, I was locked out of my house for 2 hours.  But it was a really pretty night!! So not a huge deal.  And I stole the maid´s keys yesterday heh heh heh.

Yesterday was my first day at Cristo de Miravalle, the day care center I´m volunteering at.  They have about 100 kids, and 5 full time teachers.  I don´t think those ratios would ever fly at Next Generation.  But the kids are SO loving, and the atmosphere is pretty great.  I worked in the kitchen yesterday, cooking lunch, making snacks, washing dishes.  My back hurt when I got home.  I felt lame.  But at the same time, incredibly humbled: the normal cook does all that we did together by herself, every day.  These people are strong.  In every sense.

AND! Now it´s time to go to work again!

Besos!